Breathless
by arliddian
Summary: What distracts a crazy pyromaniac? Kyro oneshot.


**Breathless**

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**Summary:** What distracts a crazy pyromaniac? Kyro one-shot.

**Timeframe: **Pre-X2.

**Archive:** In the unlikely event that someone would actually want to archive this – ask and I'll say yes. Just let me know where it's going.

**Disclaimer:** All things recognisably X-Men are obviously not mine. I just like making up my own stories.

**A/N: **Written for the prompt '_distraction_' on the theme of 'firsts' for the kittyandpyro livejournal community.

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"Hey Kitty!" Bobby called, bursting into the room. "Catch!" He lobbed something small and shiny over to her.

Startled, she automatically stood and caught it. But when she saw what it was, she shook her head violently. "No way, Bobby," she warned.

"Please, Kitty," he pleaded, crossing the room to her. "Just for a while, as a distraction while I get away. He'll kill me if he sees me with it. You can give it back afterwards. Come on, please?"

She glared, and thrust John's lighter back at him. "No. I'm not getting in the middle of your stupid prank war with John, okay?"

"ICEMAN!"

Kitty winced as John's roar echoed through the school. There was a fearful, frantic look in her eyes as she pushed the lighter into Bobby's chest, trying to get him to take it back. He just lifted his hands and took off, heading for the other side of the school.

"Bobby!" she screamed after him, still holding the lighter in her outstretched hand.

John stormed in, a quick scan of the room showing that his target wasn't there. He turned to leave – and then he saw his precious lighter in Kitty's hand.

"Pryde," he growled, stalking up to her.

Kitty whirled around and jumped back with a squeak, frightened by his angry face only inches from hers.

He lunged for her, and she yelped, phasing him through her. He simple got back up, a dangerous fire burning in his eyes, and fixed her with a level stare.

So she ran for it, phasing through the wall.

"Get back here!" he hollered, and the chase was on.

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_In hindsight, it probably was a stupid idea to run. Now I look guilty,_ Kitty thought as she phased through another wall. _It was also stupid not to just give it back. Why didn't I give it back?_

She was obviously not having a good day.

Of course, she did have the advantage: he couldn't actually touch her, so he couldn't do anything to her, even if he did catch her. Which he might, because she was getting tired, and there was only so much running she could handle, especially when she was using her power this much.

She dropped through the stairs and paused for breath for a second. Taking the time to weigh her options, she gazed at the shark Zippo in her hand.

Maybe she should just give it back to him now. He'd have to stop chasing her, right?

_Except I'll have given back the source of his power,_ she realised. She didn't think she could avoid his flames forever.

Great. Nothing to do but run, and hope against hope that someone intervenes and saves her.

"KITTY, GET BACK HERE!"

She gulped and stumbled through another door.

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Bobby peeked around a door, watching furious John chase after his lighter. He pressed his lips together to prevent a chuckle from escaping.

"Why is he chasing Kitty? Shouldn't he be chasing you, since _you're_ the one who stole his lighter?" Jubilee asked him from inside the room, where she was reading a magazine.

"It's all part of the plan," he replied confidently, pulling his head back in.

She eyed him doubtfully. "When he catches her – and he will, knowing how much he loves that lighter – he's probably going to kill her. How can that be part of your plan?"

"No, he won't," Bobby grinned. "It's not the only thing he loves."

"What?"

"The lighter's just a distraction! Eventually, he'll catch her, there will be physical contact, and there will be chemistry. They'll finally get together." Bobby looked extremely pleased with himself – obviously he'd been planning this for a while.

Jubilee still looked sceptical. "Um, Bobby, in case you haven't noticed – John's looking kind of deranged right now. I think making out with Kitty is the last thing that will be on his mind when he gets his lighter back. Also, what makes you think that _she_ wants him? She could just phase right through him."

At this, Bobby looked worried. But the moment passed, and the convinced grin was back on his face. "Jubes, come on. Everyone knows they like each other. This will work. It will."

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Kitty was cornered.

Out of breath, there was no way she would be able to phase properly. She was tired from running, and now she was stuck at one end of the room, John advancing rather speedily on her.

"C-come on, John, it's not like I _stole_ it or anything," she stuttered nervously, pressing up against the wall.

"But you've got it now, don't you?" he replied, stalking her like a lion stalks its prey.

She looked at the lighter in her hand. _Dammit, why didn't I just drop it? I hate Bobby._

Holding her other hand out to try and keep him away, she tried to catch her breath enough to phase through the wall. No such luck – he was two steps away, and it was affecting her concentration.

"Give it to me!"

He tackled her to the floor, and she screamed in surprise. They wrestled on the floor for a while, scuffling with grunts of annoyance from John and yelps from Kitty. He finally got her pinned on her back, holding her wrists with one hand.

"You're going to pay, Kitten," he grinned evilly.

And he tickled her.

Kitty squirmed, laughter escaping involuntarily from her throat. She tore her hands free and tried to push him off, batting at his arms and hands, but he was relentless.

"Okay, okay!" she gasped out, letting her arms fall to the carpet, palms up in surrender, the lighter still in one hand. "I give in!"

He stopped tickling her and rested, still on top of her with his knees pressing hers closed (presumably so she couldn't kick him) and his hands on the carpet next to her shoulders. Both of them were breathing heavily.

They stared at each other. Kitty couldn't help noticing how close he was, and how he smelled faintly musky, like aftershave and soap and something else she couldn't identify. It wasn't repulsive. _He_ wasn't repulsive. _In fact_, she thought, _he's actually kind of…good-looking_.

She also couldn't help noticing that he still hadn't taken his lighter from her now rather sweaty palm.

The heat in his gaze was making her feel incredibly nervous and self-conscious, and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Um, John…" she muttered, feeling her cheeks growing warm. "You're – I'm – um…you're still on top of me."

"Yeah," he said, one eyebrow raised. He made no move to get off her, and she blushed harder.

"Um, what about your lighter?" she asked, trying to distract him so he'd stop looking at her so intensely. Something about him was making it hard for her to draw breath.

"Right," he said. But he still didn't take it.

Instead, he kissed her.

Given that she still hadn't gotten her breath back, she couldn't phase away – but she didn't even want to. Her hands came up and pulled his head closer, and she kissed him back with equal fervour. Their limbs tangled together and he crashed down on her, rolling them both to the side so he wouldn't hurt her. She couldn't breathe and there were bruises forming down her side, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away from him.

"Ha! I told you it would work, Jubes!"

John and Kitty tore their lips from each other and glanced at the doorway. A very smug Bobby was standing there with Jubilee, whose eyes were wide with amazement at seeing her usually shy best friend in such a passionate lip-lock with the school's rebel.

John turned to Kitty. "Excuse me," he said, unnaturally politely, disentangling himself from her. He plucked his lighter from her hand and got up, flicking the shark Zippo open and closed very slowly, slightly out of breath from the kiss. Bobby began to back away nervously, his smug smile fading.

Suddenly, he turned and fled down the hall, and John raced after him, leaving Kitty on the floor, flushed and breathless.

"GET BACK HERE, ICEMAN!"

_Fin_


End file.
